The Organic Empire is about delivering the highest quality organic foods all over Victoria. Real food grown by people that have passion for what they do and in turn create the freshest, healthiest organic foods around. To these our farmers, we take off our hats for their bounty is what keeps us healthy and alive.tastesbetter@organicempire.com.au

Monday, April 26, 2010

QUINOA AND PUMPKIN SALAD

Sandy is an amazing inspirer that runs Semillas Kitchen, a teacher of Seasonal organic wholefood cooking, that appeals that to the soul as much as the palate.

We've been roasting beautiful Golden Nugget pumpkins and mixing them through salads, adding them to a spicy black bean stew or simply serving them as a side dish. Sliced into wedges, seeds, skin and all, once roasted they look rustic and taste velvety. If you don't have Golden Nugget use Jap.

1 1/2 cups of red or white quinoa

2 bay leaves

1/2 a small pumpkin, washed & sliced into wedges, golden nugget or Jap

2 handfuls of fresh parsley, roughly chopped

6 small potatoes, washed and sliced, about 5mm thick

2 red or green capsicum, thinly sliced

sea salt

freshly ground black peppercorns

1/4 cup roasted pepitas

1/2 cup roasted walnuts, roughly chopped

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, peeled & crushed

1 teaspoon roasted coriander seeds, crushed

1 teaspoon roasted cumin seeds, crushed

Preheat oven to 200. In a large deep baking tray combine the pumpkin, garlic and potato with crushed spices sea salt and olive oil. Bake until vegetables are caramelized, around 45 minutes. Meanwhile, place the quinoa with the bay leaves and 3 cups of water in a large pot. Cover, place pot over medium heat, bring to the boil then turn heat down to lowest setting and simmer until quinoa is well cooked, about 20 - 25 minutes. Turn heat off and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Combine quinoa in a large mixing bowl with the roasted vegetables, capsicum, parsley, walnuts, pepitas and vinegar. Taste, then add salt and pepper as desired. Serve.